The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 1950 Original gas tank

This was one year and about 2,000 miles!
Todd

Moderator Edit: This thread and conversation was extracted to become it's own discussion to separate from the original posters question Missing fitting on a 1950 gas tank outlet which had been answered.

Todd, is it safe to assume that your tank has never been replaced?

Otto,
original 1950 tank.
I cleaned it out by both nuts and then rocks. Strapped it to my my tractor and also tossed it in my other truck bed for about a month. It was pretty clean when I was done, but I couldn't see every part of the inside. That first fuel filter was bad. The 2nd & third year change out had hardly any.
Todd

A brand new, Canadian-made tank for that truck is only $200. I wouldn't waste any more time with the original tank. It's rusting more and more since it wasn't coated with a gas tank sealer after the gravel treatment. But since high quality new tanks are available at such a reasonable price, I wouldn't bother with the sloshing compound.

The camera angle/lens on the second photo makes the tanks look like different sizes. They aren't.

Otto,
That is a good price, delivered?
Hopefully my tank will outlast me!
Todd

Yes. I ordered mine from NPD and shipping was free and no tax charged.

I ordered a bunch of other stuff so the order totaled $587. There might be a minimum dollar amount for free shipping. I don't remember. I ordered the fuel line, sending unit, new straps and cradles, various grommets, throttle and choke cables, etc.

Sorry, the price was actually $256.

I think LMC or one of the other companies had it for $200 but then there's probably be shipping charges.

I shop all the catalogs and put together orders where I get the best deal. It's easier to do when you're just getting a single part.

I will say that I believe the Spectra tank is superior to the original in quality. The straps and cradles definitely are better quality than the original.

If your tank is still filling the fuel filter with rust, you should look at one of the fuel tank coatings sold by Eastwood and others.

I used a sloshing compound on my '56 Cadillac 20 years ago and it hasn't deteriorated at all.

I looked at some of that fuel tank coating and it was more expensive than just buying a new tank, especially if I bought the clean and prep solutions that they say are required.

I agree. That's why I suggested getting a new tank first. Shaffer wants to keep his original one, though.

I used the sloshing compound on the Cadillac because there were no new ones being produced at the time. I think the stuff I bought 20 years ago was under $100.

Otto,
the last 2 years (change it every 12 months) there has been almost zero in the filter. It was that first year that crud came out.(pictures above)

The BEST, absolutely without question, BEST two things I ever did in 41 years owning my truck was a new fuel tank (like Otto says) and a new radiator. Those things deteriorate over time and the rust in the old tank was causing nothing but carb problems and bad running. Canadian replacement tank was the most exact replacement part I ever bought. Identical in every way to the original. I was amazed, and happy!

Pure clean fuel all the time and never seeps a drop of coolant. Life is good.

Working on my 50 3100, replaced fuel tank last month as it had not been driven since 1992, It had a 6'' rust out line near the top. Glad I did. Needed a new sending unit also, it was a rusted mess. Adding new fuel lines and fuel cutoff at bottom of tank.

Your truck will be happy.

The one in my 53 is really nice for some reason. I don't know if it's OEM but I know it's been in there since 1980. When I changed the sending unit I noticed a half dollar size lump of lead just laying in the tank. I left it there. It seemed appropriate.

That's good, you'll need leaded fuel for that mega-motor.

Has anyone found a particular lead additive they'd recommend for my 1953 235 engine?

You don't need a lead additive.

Your engine will run just fine on unleaded fuel with no ill effects.

I've never owned a modern car and they all run unleaded with no additives.

Contrary to popular myth, unleaded gasoline has been around since 1923 when AMOCO introduced it's famous unleaded "white gas" super premium.

Your biggest worry should be ethanol fuel. If you drive your '53 all the time and use up the fuel in the tank in a timely manner, there won't be a problem. If your truck sits around waiting for the next car show, only fill it with ethanol-free fuel. All of this assumes your carburetor and fuel pump have been rebuilt with modern ethanol resistant parts.

In my experience with all the 216 and 235 engines I own with the Rochester carb operate just fine on the cheapest regular gasoline you can buy
Perhaps Don’t waste money on fuel additives
If the engine isn’t running nicely on 87 gas something is wrong and the fuel blend won’t fix the issue.
-s

Just a reminder to all that this thread is about the "gas tank", not a discussion on what fuel to use/not use.

Let's keep the conversation on-topic please and thanks!

Dan